KAMPALA, UGANDA: A total of eight universities and four organizations have been allocated Shs15.4b by the European Union (EU) to carry out research in various fields under the 2022 Erasmus+ Scholarship Program.
The beneficiaries include among others; Makerere University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda Martyrs University, Mountain of the Moon University, and Makerere University Business School (MUBS).
According to a press statement by the EU Deputy Ambassador to Uganda, Mr Guillaume Chartrain, the grants will enhance the quality of research at higher institutions of learning and produce students with skills and solutions to today’s socio-economic challenges.
“The research that these universities and institutions will conduct will play an important role in providing knowledge-based solutions that drive socio-economic progress, not only for the institutions or the students involved in the programme but have a broader economic impact on the country,’’ said Mr Chartrain.
According to the EU, a total of Shs15.4b has been distributed among universities to conduct research in various projects listed by the EU with Makerere University receiving the lion’s share.
Projects to be implemented under these grants include:
- Applied Human Machine Intelligence in East Africa (Innovent Financial Consult, Muni University, the Research and Education Network for Uganda and Makerere University— € 798,939)
- Boosting Agricultural Studies in Sub-Saharan Africa (Uganda Martyrs University, Mountains of the Moon University LBG— € 399,212)
- Climate-Smart agro-preneurship Education for Livelihood and Sustainability in Eastern and Southern Africa (Bugema University, Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture—€ 800,000)
- Communicating Migration and Mobility – E-Learning Programs and Newsroom Applications for Sub-Saharan Africa (Uganda Christian University, Makerere University—€ 799,974)
- Innovation for Sustainability and Societal relevance: Partnerships in evidence-based higher education on food systems and climate change (Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Makerere University— € 800,000)
- Strengthening Capacity for ICT Usage and Policy Reforms for Relevant and Quality Masters Research Process Management in Uganda’s HEIs (Uganda National Council for Higher Education, Kyazze, Kankaka & Co. Advocates, Uganda Chapter for Social Responsibility initiatives Ltd, Makerere University Business School, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Makerere University—€ 1,000,000 €)
The Ambassador said that Erasmus + Capacity Building for Higher Education supports international cooperation projects based on multilateral partnerships between organisations active in the field of higher education.
“Interventions under this grant will not only address the modernisation of teaching programmes but also take into account governance, management and the strengthening of higher education’s wider economic and social ecosystems,” he said.
He also explained that in September 2022, thirteen Ugandan graduate scholars won the prestigious EU-funded Erasmus+ scholarships to study in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Portugal, and Spain.
“These Ugandan students are currently pursuing graduate studies in Europe and our hope is that after completion, they will return to make a difference for Uganda in different spaces through innovation and problem-solving,” Mr Chartrain said.
The Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, said: “The EU and the African Union have agreed to increase research cooperation between the EU and AU universities. Makerere University has strategised to benefit from this initiative through which the EU is investing heavily. Makerere University has developed considerable capacity in research and that is why she has won quite a few grants from the various EU initiatives.”
Full list of beneficiaries
- Makerere University
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST).
- Uganda Martyrs University
- Mountain of the Moon University
- Makerere University Business School
- Muni University
- Bugema University
- Uganda Christian University
Other organisations
- National Council for Higher Education
- Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture
- Kyazze, Kankaka & Co. Advocates
- Uganda Chapter for Social Responsibility Initiatives Ltd
About EU Erasmus +
Erasmus+ is the European Union’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport. The programme was established in 1987.
The organization in 2021 had a total budget of €2.9 billion, with 19,000 projects, around 71,000 organisations and close to 649,000 participants in mobility activities.
In 2020 Erasmus+ supported almost 640,000 people in their studies, traineeships or voluntary work abroad. It funded around 126,900 organisations and some 20,400 projects.
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